Anderlecht (, ) is one of the 19 municipalities of the

Brussels-Capital Region Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium. Located in the south-western part of the region, it is bordered by the

City of Brussels The City of Brussels (french: Ville de Bruxelles or alternatively ''Bruxelles-Ville'' ; nl, Stad Brussel or ''Brussel-Stad'') is the largest municipality and historical centre of the Brussels-Capital Region, as well as the capital of the Fl ...

Forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

Molenbeek-Saint-Jean (French, ) or (Dutch, ), often simply called Molenbeek, is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located in the western part of the region, it is bordered by the City of Brussels, from which it is separated b ...

, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the

Flemish Flemish (''Vlaams'') is a Low Franconian dialect cluster of the Dutch language. It is sometimes referred to as Flemish Dutch (), Belgian Dutch ( ), or Southern Dutch (). Flemish is native to Flanders, a historical region in northern Belgium; ...

municipalities of

Dilbeek Dilbeek () is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in the Flemish region of Belgium. The municipality comprises the villages of Dilbeek proper, Groot-Bijgaarden, Itterbeek (with Sint-Anna-Pede), Schepdaal (with Sint-Gertrudis-Pe ...

and

Sint-Pieters-Leeuw Sint-Pieters-Leeuw (; french: Leeuw-Saint-Pierre) is a Dutch-speaking municipality of Belgium located in the province of Flemish Brabant (Flemish Region). The municipality comprises the towns of Oudenaken, Ruisbroek, Sint-Laureins-Berchem, Sint- ...

. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally

bilingual Multilingualism is the use of more than one language, either by an individual speaker or by a group of speakers. It is believed that multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. More than half of all ...

(French–Dutch). There are several historically and architecturally distinct districts within Anderlecht. , the municipality had a population of around 120,887. The total area is , which gives a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopu ...

of . Its upper area is greener and less densely populated.

History

Origins and medieval times

The first traces of human activity on the right bank of the

Senne Senne may refer to: Places * Senne (Germany), a natural region of Germany *Senne, a district of Bielefeld, Germany * Senne (river), a river of Belgium *Senné (disambiguation), places in Slovakia People with the name *Yōkō Senne, a 13th-centur ...

date from the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistoric period during which stone was widely used to make tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years, and ended between 4,000 BC and 2,000 BC, with ...

and

Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...

. The remnants of a

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the fall of the Roman Republic, villas became ...

and of a Frankish

necropolis A necropolis (plural necropolises, necropoles, necropoleis, necropoli) is a large, designed cemetery with elaborate tomb monuments. The name stems from the Ancient Greek ''nekropolis'', literally meaning "city of the dead". The term usually im ...

were also found on the territory of Anderlecht. The first mention of the name ''Anderlecht'', however, dates only from 1047 under the forms ''Anrelech'', then ''Andrelet'' (1111), ''Andreler'' (1148), and ''Anderlech'' (1186). At that time, this community was already home to a chapter of canons and to two feudal manors, those of the powerful

lord Lord is an appellation for a person or deity who has authority, control, or power (social and political), power over others, acting as a master, chief, or ruler. The appellation can also denote certain persons who hold a title of the Peerage ...

s of Aa and of Anderlecht. Anderlecht, Sint-Pieter-en-Sint-Guidokerk 01

In 1356, the

Count of Flanders The count of Flanders was the ruler or sub-ruler of the county of Flanders, beginning in the 9th century. Later, the title would be held for a time, by the rulers of the Holy Roman Empire and Spain. During the French Revolution, in 1790, the ...

, Louis II, fought against

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

on the territory of Anderlecht, in the so-called ''Battle of Scheut'', supposedly over a monetary matter. Although he defeated his sister-in-law, the Duchess of Brabant,

Joanna Joanna is a feminine given name deriving from from he, יוֹחָנָה, translit=Yôḥānāh, lit=God is gracious. Variants in English include Joan, Joann, Joanne, and Johanna. Other forms of the name in English are Jan, Jane, Janet, Janice ...

, and briefly took her title, she regained it the following year with the help of the

Holy Roman Emperor The Holy Roman Emperor, originally and officially the Emperor of the Romans ( la, Imperator Romanorum, german: Kaiser der Römer) during the Middle Ages, and also known as the Roman-German Emperor since the early modern period ( la, Imperat ...

, Charles IV. In 1393, Joanna's

charter A charter is the grant of authority or rights, stating that the granter formally recognizes the prerogative of the recipient to exercise the rights specified. It is implicit that the granter retains superiority (or sovereignty), and that the re ...

made Anderlecht a part of Brussels. It is also around this time that the

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * Chri ...

of Saint Guy was rebuilt above an earlier Romanesque

crypt A crypt (from Latin '' crypta'' " vault") is a stone chamber beneath the floor of a church or other building. It typically contains coffins, sarcophagi, or religious relics. Originally, crypts were typically found below the main apse of a c ...

in the

Brabantian Gothic Brabantine Gothic, occasionally called Brabantian Gothic, is a significant variant of Gothic architecture that is typical for the Low Countries. It surfaced in the first half of the 14th century at St. Rumbold's Cathedral in the City of Mechelen ...

style.

15th–18th centuries

The village of Anderlecht became a beacon of culture in the 15th and 16th centuries. In 1521, the Dutch

humanist Humanism is a philosophical stance that emphasizes the individual and social potential and agency of human beings. It considers human beings the starting point for serious moral and philosophical inquiry. The meaning of the term "human ...

writer

Erasmus of Rotterdam Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' w ...

lived in the canons' house for a few months.

Charles, Duke of Aumale Charles of Guise, duc d'Aumale (25 January 1555 – 1631, Brussels) was the son of Claude, Duke of Aumale and Louise de Brézé. Biography One of the leaders of the Catholic League, he was at times governor of Picardy and Grand Veneur of ...

and

Grand Veneur of France The Grand Veneur de France or Grand Huntsman of France was a position in the King's Household in France during the Ancien Régime. The word French "veneur" ( huntsman), derives from the Middle French word "vener" (to hunt), (itself from the La ...

also had a residence there. The 17th and 18th centuries were marked by the wars between the

Low Countries The term Low Countries, also known as the Low Lands ( nl, de Lage Landen, french: les Pays-Bas, lb, déi Niddereg Lännereien) and historically called the Netherlands ( nl, de Nederlanden), Flanders, or Belgica, is a coastal lowland region in N ...

and France. During the

Nine Years' War The Nine Years' War (1688–1697), often called the War of the Grand Alliance or the War of the League of Augsburg, was a conflict between Kingdom of France, France and a European coalition which mainly included the Holy Roman Empire (led by t ...

, it is from the high ground of

Scheut Scheut is a district of Anderlecht, a municipality of Brussels, Belgium. Located in the north of Anderlecht, it is bounded by the border with the municipality of Molenbeek-Saint-Jean to the north, the historical centre of Anderlecht to the sout ...

, in the northern part of Anderlecht, that the

bombardment of Brussels The bombardment of Brussels by troops of Louis XIV of France on August 13, 14 and 15, 1695, and the resulting fire were together the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. Brussels was mostly untouched by most other confl ...

of 1695 took place. Together with the resulting fire, it was the most destructive event in the entire history of Brussels. On 13 November 1792, right after the

Battle of Jemappes The Battle of Jemappes (6 November 1792) took place near the town of Jemappes in County of Hainaut, Hainaut, Austrian Netherlands (now Belgium), near Mons during the War of the First Coalition, part of the French Revolutionary Wars. One of th ...

, General Dumouriez and the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are conside ...

ary army routed the

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

ns there once again. Among the consequences were the disbanding of the canons and Anderlecht being proclaimed an independent municipality by the French. KartuisScheut

By the end of the 18th century, Anderlecht including its dependencies, which extended to Brussels' city walls, counted around 2,000 inhabitants. In Scheut, on the site of the Carthusian Monastery, stood a chapel called Our Lady of Scheut, whose pleasant location, in the middle of a grove, made this place very popular at the time.

19th century and later

The 19th century saw a remarkable population growth, mainly because of the proximity to a rapidly expanding Brussels. The / was laid out in 1828, through the former property of the Carthusians. The population multiplied by ten between 1830 and 1890 and doubled again between 1890 and 1910. Along the / and the

Brussels–Charleroi Canal The Brussels–Charleroi Canal, also known as the Charleroi Canal amongst other similar names, (french: canal Bruxelles-Charleroi, nl, kanaal Brussel-Charleroi) is an important canal in Belgium. The canal is quite large, with a Class IV Frey ...

, a series of industrial and

working-class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

districts connected the centre of Anderlecht to Cureghem. Remarkable new urban developments and garden cities such as La Roue/Het Rad, Moortebeek and / were built at the beginning of the 20th century to house the influx of newcomers. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, some remaining green parts of the municipality also made way for large-scale

urban renewal Urban renewal (also called urban regeneration in the United Kingdom and urban redevelopment in the United States) is a program of land redevelopment often used to address urban decay in cities. Urban renewal involves the clearing out of blighte ...

following the modernist

Athens Charter The Athens Charter (french: Charte d'Athènes, Greek: Χάρτα των Αθηνών) was a 1933 document about urban planning published by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier. The work was based upon Le Corbusier’s '' Ville Radieuse'' (Radiant Ci ...

and Park system, such as the housing projects Scherdemael, Peterbos and Marius Renard in the upper town, and Aurore near the canal. Nowadays, the name ''Anderlecht'' rings a bell in every Belgian ear thanks to its very successful

football club A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all ...

Geography

Location

Anderlecht is located in the north-central part of Belgium, about from the Belgian coast and about from Belgium's southern tip. It is located in the heartland of the Brabantian Plateau, about south of

Antwerp Antwerp (; nl, Antwerpen ; french: Anvers ; es, Amberes) is the largest city in Belgium by area at and the capital of Antwerp Province in the Flemish Region. With a population of 520,504,

(

Flanders Flanders (, ; Dutch: ''Vlaanderen'' ) is the Flemish-speaking northern portion of Belgium and one of the communities, regions and language areas of Belgium. However, there are several overlapping definitions, including ones related to cultu ...

), and north of

Charleroi Charleroi ( , , ; wa, Tchålerwè ) is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. By 1 January 2008, the total population of Charleroi was 201,593.

(

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—al ...

). It is the westernmost municipality in the

and is an important crossing point for the

, which cuts the municipality in two from the west. With an area of , it is also the third largest municipality in the region after the

and

Uccle Uccle () or Ukkel () is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. In common with all of Brussels' municipalities, it is legally bilingual (French–Dutch). It is generally considered an affluent area of the city an ...

. It is bordered by the City of Brussels,

, and Saint-Gilles, as well as the Flemish municipalities of

and

Climate

Anderlecht, in common with the rest of Brussels, experiences an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate, is the humid temperate climate sub-type in Köppen classification ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of continents, generally featuring cool summers and mild winters ...

( Köppen: ''Cfb'') with warm summers and cool winters. Proximity to coastal areas influences the area's climate by sending marine air masses from the

Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans, with an area of about . It covers approximately 20% of Earth's surface and about 29% of its water surface area. It is known to separate the " Old World" of Africa, Europe ...

. Nearby wetlands also ensure a maritime temperate climate. On average (based on measurements in the period 1981–2010), there are approximately 135 days of rain per year in the region. Snowfall is infrequent, averaging 24 days per year. It also often experiences violent thunderstorms in summer months. The Royal Meteorological Institute of Belgium (IRM/KMI) is located in

, in the south of Brussels. The meteorological records which are carried out there are similar to those which could be carried out in Anderlecht.

Districts

The territory of Anderlecht is very heterogeneous and is characterised by a mixture of larger districts including smaller residential and (formerly) industrial neighbourhoods. The area along the canal is currently experiencing a large revitalisation programme, as part of the of the

Historical centre

The historical centre of Anderlecht is the municipality's central district. Formerly known as ''Rinck'', it is divided into several sectors: * The / district, also called the / district, is the meeting point for those who hail to the heart of Anderlecht. It is also where the Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein (Anderlecht's central square), the Church of St. Guido, the /, as well as Anderlecht's main schools are located. The / is the municipality's main shopping street. It is centred on the / and some neighbouring streets. * The smaller Aumale district in its northern part mainly comprises the / and its surrounding streets. It includes the Erasmus House (a museum devoted to the Dutch

writer

), the old

beguinage A beguinage, from the French term ''béguinage'', is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. Originally the beguine institution was ...

(a type of lay

convent A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Angl ...

common in the

Late Middle Ages The Late Middle Ages or Late Medieval Period was the period of European history lasting from AD 1300 to 1500. The Late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period (and in much of Europe, the Ren ...

in the

and the

Rhineland The Rhineland (german: Rheinland; french: Rhénanie; nl, Rijnland; ksh, Rhingland; Latinised name: ''Rhenania'') is a loosely defined area of Western Germany along the Rhine, chiefly its middle section. Term Historically, the Rhinelands ...

), as well as the ''Bibliothèque de l'Espace Maurice Carême'' French-language public library.

Cureghem/Kuregem

Located in the east of Anderlecht, / is one of the municipality's largest and most populated districts. It developed during the

Industrial Revolution The Industrial Revolution was the transition to new manufacturing processes in Great Britain, continental Europe, and the United States, that occurred during the period from around 1760 to about 1820–1840. This transition included going f ...

along the

and is currently in a fragile social and economic situation due to the decline of its economy and the poor quality of some of its housing. Between 1836 and 1991, the district housed the Royal School of Veterinary Medicine, now moved to

Liège Liège ( , , ; wa, Lîdje ; nl, Luik ; german: Lüttich ) is a major city and municipality of Wallonia and the capital of the Belgian province of Liège. The city is situated in the valley of the Meuse, in the east of Belgium, not far fro ...

but often still referred to as ''Cureghem''. The old campus, listed as protected heritage, is currently undergoing a large rehabilitation process. Three listed buildings; the former Atlas Brewery, the old power station, and the former Moulart Mill, are testaments to the old industrial activities next to the waterway. The Municipal Hall of Anderlecht is located on the /, at the heart of this district. In its lower part, bordering the City of Brussels, are the Square de l'Aviation/Luchtvaartsquare and the /.

La Roue/Het Rad

Located in the south of Anderlecht, / ("The Wheel") is one of the municipality's largest districts and one of Brussels' main garden cities. Built in the 1920s, with its modest and picturesque houses, it offers a great vision of an early 20th century

working class The working class (or labouring class) comprises those engaged in manual-labour occupations or industrial work, who are remunerated via waged or salaried contracts. Working-class occupations (see also " Designation of workers by collar colou ...

neighbourhood. It is also home to one of the largest agribusiness industry campuses in Belgium; the Food and Chemical Industries Education and Research Center (CERIA/COOVI), as well as popular department stores.

Scheut

Located in the north of Anderlecht,

is bounded by the border with the municipality of

to the north, the historical centre of Anderlecht to the south, the Birmingham district to the east, the Scheutveld district to the west and the semi-natural site of the Scheutbos to the north-west. It is in this district, on the /, that lay the foundations of the Scheutveld College, on 28 April 1863, by the

Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned (" ordained") with the Holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in layman's terms ''priest'' refers onl ...

Theophile Verbist Theophile Verbist, CICM (12 June 1823 – 23 February 1868) was a Belgian Catholic priest who founded the Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a missionary religious congregation of men. He led missionary activities in China. Early life ...

. The congregation of Scheut Missionaries went on to

evangelise In Christianity, evangelism (or witnessing) is the act of preaching the gospel with the intention of sharing the message and teachings of Jesus Christ. Christians who specialize in evangelism are often known as evangelists, whether they are i ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

Mongolia Mongolia; Mongolian script: , , ; lit. "Mongol Nation" or "State of Mongolia" () is a landlocked country in East Asia, bordered by Russia to the north and China to the south. It covers an area of , with a population of just 3.3 million ...

, the

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

, as well as the

Congo Free State ''(Work and Progress) , national_anthem = Vers l'avenir , capital = Vivi Boma , currency = Congo Free State franc , religion = Catholicism (''de facto'') , leader1 = Leop ...

Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (french: Congo belge, ; nl, Belgisch-Congo) was a Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960. The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), in 1964. Colo ...

(modern-day

Democratic Republic of the Congo The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

Main sights

Anderlecht has a rich cultural and architectural heritage. Some of the main points of interest include: * The Collegiate Church of St. Peter and St. Guido is located in the municipality's historical centre, on the northern side of the Place de la Vaillance/Dapperheidsplein, its main square. It contains the grave of the 11th century saint

Guy of Anderlecht Saint Guy of Anderlecht (also, Guido, Guidon, Wye of Láken) (ca. 950–1012) was a Catholic saint from before the Great Schism of 1054. He is therefore venerated as a saint in the Orthodox Church. He was known as the ''Poor Man of Anderlecht' ...

. Its Romanesque

dates from the 10th century and is one of the oldest in Belgium. Most of the church, however, dates from 1350 and later, with most of the currently visible architecture representing the

Ogee An ogee ( ) is the name given to objects, elements, and curves—often seen in architecture and building trades—that have been variously described as serpentine-, extended S-, or sigmoid-shaped. Ogees consist of a "double curve", the combinat ...

style (15th–16th centuries). Construction of the tower started in 1517 but stopped with the square part up to the balcony, and was not completed until 1898.Eug. De Seyn, "Geschied- en aardrijkskundig woordenboek der Belgische gemeenten" (''Historic and Geographic Dictionary of Belgian communes''), A. Bieleveld, Brussels 1933-1934. * The Erasmus House, built between 1460 and 1515, with its

medicinal Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care practic ...

and philosophical gardens, can be visited nearby. Right next to the church, the old

is home to a local historical museum. Both institutions are now managed jointly as the Erasmus House and Beguinage Museums. * The National Museum of the Resistance, which traces the history of the

Belgian resistance The Belgian Resistance (french: Résistance belge, nl, Belgisch verzet) collectively refers to the resistance movements opposed to the German occupation of Belgium during World War II. Within Belgium, resistance was fragmented between many se ...

and German occupation of Belgium during World War II. * The Museum of China – Scheut, which houses documents and pieces brought back to Europe by the congregation of Scheut Missionaries, including a 15th-century bronze

Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was born in L ...

. * The Maurice Carême Museum, in the where the Belgian poet lived and wrote. * The ''Luizenmolen'' in Neerpede, a replica of an old

windmill A windmill is a structure that converts wind power into rotational energy using vanes called sails or blades, specifically to mill grain (gristmills), but the term is also extended to windpumps, wind turbines, and other applications, in some ...

which once stood on the site. * The ''Cureghem Cellars'' (French: , Dutch: ), a subterranean complex of handmade brick caves with Romanesque vaults, pillars, and arches, originally the site of a cattle market covered by a forged-iron roof construction in the 1890s. The cellars were simply a foundation for the upper structure until the 1930s, after which the city council decided to make better use of them. It proved more profitable to grow mushrooms in the dark and damp underground spaces for local consumption. It fell into disuse as a cattle market but, in 1984, the hall officially got listed as a Belgian monument. Due to its characteristic architecture and unique layout it was refurbished and transformed by a private company, Abattoir SA. Since 1992, it serves as an attractive and functional event site for various private, corporate or public occasions and events. One of these was the anatomic exposition ''

Body Worlds ''Body Worlds'' (German title: ''Körperwelten'') is a traveling exposition of dissected human bodies, animals, and other anatomical structures of the body that have been preserved through the process of plastination. Gunther von Hagens develop ...

'' (german: Körperwelten, link=no) by Dr.

Gunther Von Hagens Gunther von Hagens (born Gunther Gerhard Liebchen; 10 January 1945) is a German anatomist who invented the technique for preserving biological tissue specimens called plastination. He has organized numerous ''Body Worlds'' public exhibitions a ...

, which ran in the cellars between 2008 and 2009 and attracted over 500,000 visitors. * The

Cantillon Brewery Brasserie-Brouwerij Cantillon ("Brewery Cantillon") is a small Belgian traditional family brewery based in Anderlecht, Brussels. Cantillon was founded in 1900 and brews exclusively lambic beers. Overview The brewery was founded in 1900 by P ...

, a

gueuze Gueuze (Dutch ''geuze'', ; French ''gueuze'', ) is a type of lambic, a Belgian beer. It is made by blending young (1-year-old) and old (2- to 3-year-old) lambics, which is bottled for a second fermentation. Because the young lambics are no ...

museum established in an actual working brewery. * The Museum of Medicine, located on the ''Erasme''/''Erasmus'' campus of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB). * The

Jean-Claude Van Damme Jean-Claude Camille François Van Varenberg (, ; born 18 October 1960), known professionally as Jean-Claude Van Damme (, ), is a Belgian actor, martial artist, filmmaker, and fight choreographer. Born and raised in Brussels, Belgium, at the ag ...

statue located on the /, near the Westland Shopping Center. File:Maison d'Érasme.jpg, Erasmus House File:AnderlechtBegijnhof.jpg,

Beguinage A beguinage, from the French term ''béguinage'', is an architectural complex which was created to house beguines: lay religious women who lived in community without taking vows or retiring from the world. Originally the beguine institution was ...

of Anderlecht File:Cité de Moortebeek 04.JPG, Moortebeek garden city File:Anderlecht2019 21.jpg, / File:Anderlecht Justice de Paix 2014.JPG, of Anderlecht

Demographics

Historical population

Historically, the population of Anderlecht was quite low. The municipality counted around 2,000 inhabitants at the beginning of the 19th century. However, following the

, the population underwent a remarkable growth, peaking at 103,796 in 1970. From then, it began to decrease slightly to a low of 87,812 in 2000, before increasing again rapidly in recent years. , the population was 120,887. The area is , making the density . Colors= id:a value:gray(0.9) id:b value:gray(0.7) id:c value:rgb(1,1,1) id:d value:rgb(0.7,0.8,0.9) ImageSize = width:920 height:373 PlotArea = left:50 bottom:30 top:30 right:30 DateFormat = x.y Period = from:0 till:121000 TimeAxis = orientation:vertical AlignBars = justify ScaleMajor = gridcolor:b increment:10000 start:0 ScaleMinor = gridcolor:a increment:5000 start:0 BackgroundColors = canvas:c BarData= bar:1806 text:1806 bar:1816 text:1816 bar:1830 text:1830 bar:1846 text:1846 bar:1856 text:1856 bar:1866 text:1866 bar:1876 text:1876 bar:1880 text:1880 bar:1890 text:1890 bar:1900 text:1900 bar:1910 text:1910 bar:1920 text:1920 bar:1930 text:1930 bar:1947 text:1947 bar:1961 text:1961 bar:1970 text:1970 bar:1980 text:1980 bar:1990 text:1990 bar:2000 text:2000 bar:2010 text:2010 bar:2018 text:2018 bar:2019 text:2019 bar:2020 text:2020 PlotData= color:d width:20 align:left bar:1806 from:0 till: 2028 bar:1816 from:0 till: 2323 bar:1830 from:0 till: 3426 bar:1846 from:0 till: 5966 bar:1856 from:0 till: 7465 bar:1866 from:0 till: 11580 bar:1876 from:0 till: 18615 bar:1880 from:0 till: 22812 bar:1890 from:0 till: 32311 bar:1900 from:0 till: 47929 bar:1910 from:0 till: 64137 bar:1920 from:0 till: 67038 bar:1930 from:0 till: 80046 bar:1947 from:0 till: 86412 bar:1961 from:0 till: 94677 bar:1970 from:0 till: 103796 bar:1980 from:0 till: 95969 bar:1990 from:0 till: 89231 bar:2000 from:0 till: 87812 bar:2010 from:0 till: 104647 bar:2018 from:0 till: 118382 bar:2019 from:0 till: 118920 bar:2020 from:0 till: 120009 PlotData= bar:1806 at: 2028 fontsize:s text: 2.028 shift:(-10,5) bar:1816 at: 2323 fontsize:S text: 2.323 shift:(-10,5) bar:1830 at: 3426 fontsize:S text: 3.426 shift:(-10,5) bar:1846 at: 5966 fontsize:S text: 5.966 shift:(-10,5) bar:1856 at: 7465 fontsize:S text: 7.465 shift:(-10,5) bar:1866 at: 11580 fontsize:S text: 11.580 shift:(-10,5) bar:1876 at: 18615 fontsize:S text: 18.615 shift:(-10,5) bar:1880 at: 22812 fontsize:S text: 22.812 shift:(-10,5) bar:1890 at: 32311 fontsize:S text: 32.311 shift:(-10,5) bar:1900 at: 47929 fontsize:S text: 47.929 shift:(-10,5) bar:1910 at: 64137 fontsize:S text: 64.137 shift:(-10,5) bar:1920 at: 67038 fontsize:S text: 67.038 shift:(-10,5) bar:1930 at: 80046 fontsize:S text: 80.046 shift:(-10,5) bar:1947 at: 86412 fontsize:S text: 86.412 shift:(-10,5) bar:1961 at: 94677 fontsize:S text: 94.677 shift:(-10,5) bar:1970 at: 103796 fontsize:S text: 103.796 shift:(-10,5) bar:1980 at: 95969 fontsize:S text: 95.969 shift:(-10,5) bar:1990 at: 89231 fontsize:S text: 89.231 shift:(-10,5) bar:2000 at: 87812 fontsize:S text: 87.812 shift:(-10,5) bar:2010 at: 104647 fontsize:S text: 104.647 shift:(-10,5) bar:2018 at: 118382 fontsize:S text: 118.382 shift:(-10,5) bar:2019 at: 118920 fontsize:S text: 118.920 shift:(-10,5) bar:2020 at: 120009 fontsize:S text: 120.009 shift:(-10,5) * Sources: INS: 1806 to 1981= census; 1990 and later = population on 1 January

Foreign population

Migrant communities in Anderlecht with over 1,000 people as of 1 January 2020:

Politics

The current city council was elected in the October 2018 elections. The current mayor of Anderlecht is Fabrice Cumps, a member of PS, who alongside the other parties on their list, sp.a and cdH, is in coalition on the municipal council with

Ecolo Ecolo, officially Écologistes Confédérés pour l'organisation de luttes originales'', (English: Confederate Ecologists for the Organisation of Original Struggles)'' is a French-speaking political party in Belgium based on green politics. The ...

Groen Groen or de Groen is a surname of Dutch origin, meaning ''green''.

DéFI DéFI () is a social-liberal, liberal, regionalist political party in Belgium mainly known for defending French-speakers’ interests in and near the Brussels region. The party is led by François de Smet, a member of the Chamber of Represen ...

and Forward.

Events

The annual Anderlecht fair, originally a cattle fair, was authorised by

William II of the Netherlands William II ( nl, Willem Frederik George Lodewijk, anglicized as William Frederick George Louis; 6 December 1792 – 17 March 1849) was King of the Netherlands, Grand Duke of Luxembourg, and Duke of Limburg. William II was the son of Wil ...

in 1825. Since then, it has taken the form of a series of celebrations, which still include animal shows but also a large market, a floral show, and the recreation of a religious

procession A procession is an organized body of people walking in a formal or ceremonial manner. History Processions have in all peoples and at all times been a natural form of public celebration, as forming an orderly and impressive ceremony. Religious ...

in honour of Saint Guy.

Economy

The , located at 24, / in Cureghem, is the main

slaughterhouse A slaughterhouse, also called abattoir (), is a facility where animals are slaughtered to provide food. Slaughterhouses supply meat, which then becomes the responsibility of a packaging facility. Slaughterhouses that produce meat that is no ...

in Brussels, employing some 1,500 people. In addition to its main activities, the great hall serves as a covered market for food and

flea market A flea market (or swap meet) is a type of street market that provides space for vendors to sell previously-owned (second-hand) goods. This type of market is often seasonal. However, in recent years there has been the development of 'formal ...

s. In recent years, several major international companies have set up their headquarters in Anderlecht, notably the Delhaize Group, which operates many supermarket chains, from 40, Marie Curie Square,

Coca-Cola Coca-Cola, or Coke, is a carbonated soft drink manufactured by the Coca-Cola Company. Originally marketed as a temperance bar, temperance drink and intended as a patent medicine, it was invented in the late 19th century by John Stith Pembe ...

Benelux at 1424, /, as well as the Belgian chocolate company

Leonidas Leonidas I (; grc-gre, Λεωνίδας; died 19 September 480 BC) was a List of kings of Sparta#Heraclids, king of the Greek city-state of Sparta, and the 17th of the List of kings of Sparta#Agiad dynasty, Agiad line, a dynasty which claimed d ...

at 41, /.

Healthcare

Several hospitals and clinics are located in Anderlecht: * Erasmus Hospital *Joseph Bracops Hospital *St. Anne St. Remigius Clinic

Sports

Constant Vanden Stockstadion, Anderlecht

Football

Anderlecht is the home of the

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

club RSC Anderlecht, the most successful Belgian football team in European competition as well as in the

Belgian First Division The Belgian Pro League,(officially the Jupiler Pro League due to sponsorship reasons with Jupiler), is the top league competition for association football clubs in Belgium. Contested by 18 clubs since the 2020–21 season and reduced to 16 te ...

with 34 titles. The club's home stadium is the

Constant Vanden Stock Stadium The Constant Vanden Stock Stadium (french: Stade Constant Vanden Stock, nl, Constant Vanden Stockstadion), also known as the Lotto Park for sponsorship reasons, is a football stadium in the municipality of Anderlecht in Brussels, Belgium. It is ...

, located within

Astrid Park Astrid Park (french: Parc Astrid, nl, Astridpark) is an urban public park in the municipality of Anderlecht in Brussels, Belgium. The park was inaugurated on 13 August 1911 and was named the / ("Meir Park") until 1935, when the mayor of Anderl ...

. The team colours are white and purple.

Parks and green spaces

Green spaces in the municipality include: *

* /, in Scheut * Scherdemael Park * Peterbos Park * Joseph Lemaire Park * Jean Vives Park * /, in Neerpede * /, in Cureghem * The Vogelzang or Vogelenzang, a natural protected area

Famous inhabitants

( 950–1012), known as the ''Poor Man of Anderlecht'',

patron saint A patron saint, patroness saint, patron hallow or heavenly protector is a saint who in Catholicism, Anglicanism, or Eastern Orthodoxy is regarded as the heavenly advocate of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or perso ...

of AnderlechtGuy of Anderlecht at saints.sqpn.com.
Retrieved 26.March 2013 *

Adrian VI Pope Adrian VI ( la, Hadrianus VI; it, Adriano VI; nl, Adrianus/Adriaan VI), born Adriaan Florensz Boeyens (2 March 1459 – 14 September 1523), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 9 January 1522 until his d ...

(1459–1523), pope, theologian, rector at the University of Leuven, canon at the Chapter of Anderlecht, lived there. * (1900–1966), politician and mayor of Anderlecht *

Jacques Brel Jacques Romain Georges Brel (, ; 8 April 1929 – 9 October 1978) was a Belgian singer and actor who composed and performed literate, thoughtful, and theatrical songs that generated a large, devoted following—initially in Belgium and France, l ...

, singer-songwriter and actor. He lived from 1942 to 1951 at 7, /, and worked from 1946 to 1953 in the family cardboard box factory Vanneste & Brel (now SCA Packaging) at 18, /. A nearby

metro station A metro station or subway station is a station for a rapid transit system, which as a whole is usually called a "metro" or "subway". A station provides a means for passengers to purchase tickets, board trains, and evacuate the system in t ...

is named after him. * Maurice Carême (1899–1978), poet *

Fernand Dineur Fernand Dineur (Anderlecht, Belgium, May 17, 1904– April 1956) was a Belgian cartoonist, famous for creating "Tif et Tondu Tag Image File Format, abbreviated TIFF or TIF, is an image file format for storing raster graphics images, popular a ...

(1904–1956), cartoonist * , also known as Zidrou (b. 1962),

comic book A comic book, also called comicbook, comic magazine or (in the United Kingdom and Ireland) simply comic, is a publication that consists of comics art in the form of sequential juxtaposed panels that represent individual scenes. Panels are of ...

artist *

Desiderius Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus (; ; English: Erasmus of Rotterdam or Erasmus;''Erasmus'' was his baptismal name, given after St. Erasmus of Formiae. ''Desiderius'' was an adopted additional name, which he used from 1496. The ''Roterodamus'' wa ...

(1466–1536),

and theologian * (1939–2006), actor, stage manager and professor of the Théâtre royal des Galeries * (1921–2014), architect *

Désiré Keteleer Désiré "Dis" Keteleer (13 June 1920 – 17 September 1970) was a Belgian professional road bicycle racer. Keteleer was born in Anderlecht and was professional from 1942 until 1961, winning the inaugural Tour of Romandie in 1947 and La Fl� ...

(1920–1970),

cyclist Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

Filip Peeters Filip Peeters or Philip Peeters (born 2 December 1962) is a Flemish actor. He is well known for his work in the television series ''Salamander'' as Paul Gerardi and ''Zone Stad'' as Didier Francks. He is one of a few Flemish actors who have been ...

(b. 1962), Flemish actor * Germaine Schneider (1903–1945), Belgian-Swiss member of the

Resistance during World War II Resistance movements during World War II occurred in every occupied country by a variety of means, ranging from non-cooperation to propaganda, hiding crashed pilots and even to outright warfare and the recapturing of towns. In many countries, r ...

* Henri Seroka (b. 1949), singer and composer *

Henri Simonet Henri François Simonet (10 May 1931 – 15 February 1996) was a Belgium, Belgian politician. Born in Brussels, Henri Simonet studied law and economics at the Universite Libre de Bruxelles (ULB), ULB and then went to Columbia University as CRB ...

(1931–1996), politician and mayor of Anderlecht *

Jacques Simonet Jacques Simonet (21 December 1963 – 14 June 2007) was a Belgian politician and a former Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region. Life He is the son of Henri Simonet, former Socialist Party minister and for many years mayor of Anderle ...

(1963–2007), politician, mayor of Anderlecht, and

Minister-President of the Brussels-Capital Region The Minister-President of the Brussels Capital-Region (french: Ministre-président de la région de Bruxelles-Capitale, nl, Minister-president van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest) is the person leading the Government of the Brussels-Capital ...

* (1899–1981), architect *

Philippe Thys Philippe Thys (; nl, Philippe Thĳs; 8 October 1889 – 16 January 1971) was a Belgian cyclist and three times winner of the Tour de France. Professional career In 1910, Thys won Belgium's first national cyclo-cross championship. The fo ...

(1889–1971), cyclist and three-time champion of the

Tour de France The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage bicycle race primarily held in France, while also occasionally passing through nearby countries. Like the other Grand Tours (the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a España), it consists ...

* Tonia (Arlette Antoine Dominicus) (b. 1947), singer, represented Belgium at the 11th Eurovision Song Contest in 1966 *

Toots Thielemans Jean-Baptiste Frédéric Isidor, Baron Thielemans (29 April 1922 – 22 August 2016), known professionally as Toots Thielemans, was a Belgian jazz musician. He was mostly known for his chromatic harmonica playing, as well as his guitar and whistl ...

(1922–2016),

jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with its roots in blues and ragtime. Since the 1920s Jazz Age, it has been recognized as a m ...

musician, lived there. *

William Vance William van Cutsem (8 September 1935 – 14 May 2018), better known by his pen name William Vance, was a Belgian comics artist known for his distinctive realistic style and work in Franco-Belgian comics. Biography William van Cutsem was born ...

(b. 1935), comic book artist *

Constant Vanden Stock Constant Vanden Stock (; 13 June 1914 – 19 April 2008) was the president and a player of Belgian football club R.S.C. Anderlecht. The stadium of this club was named after him. Constant Vanden Stock also served as coach of the Belgium nationa ...

(1914–2008), entrepreneur, footballer, functionary, and coach of the Belgian national team *

Virgile Vandeput Virgile Vandeput ( he, וירג'יל ואן דה פוט; born September 6, 1994 in Anderlecht, Belgium) is a Belgian-Israeli alpine skier who competes for Israel. Biography Born in Belgium, he has dual Belgian and Israeli citizenship. He grew ...

(b. 1994), Belgian-born alpine skier who competes for Israel *

Régine Zylberberg Régine Zylberberg (born Rachelle Zylberberg; 26 December 1929 – 1 May 2022), often known mononymously as Régine, was a Belgian-born French singer and nightclub impresario. She dubbed herself the "Queen of the Night". Early life Rachelle Zy ...

, better known as Régine (b. 1929), chanson singer, actress and nightclub entrepreneur Born in Anderlecht: *

Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant Princess Elisabeth, Duchess of Brabant ( nl, Elisabeth Theresia Maria Helena; french: Élisabeth Thérèse Marie Hélène; born 25 October 2001) is the heir apparent to the Belgian throne. The eldest child of King Philippe and Queen Mathilde ...

(b. 2001), Duchess of Brabant, the eldest child of King Philippe and

Queen Mathilde Mathilde (born ''Jonkvrouw'' Mathilde Marie Christine Ghislaine d'Udekem d'Acoz ; 20 January 1973) is Queen of the Belgians as the wife of King Philippe. She is the first native-born Belgian queen. She has founded and assisted charities to ...

; heiress * Princes

Gabriel In Abrahamic religions (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), Gabriel (); Greek: grc, Γαβριήλ, translit=Gabriḗl, label=none; Latin: ''Gabriel''; Coptic: cop, Ⲅⲁⲃⲣⲓⲏⲗ, translit=Gabriêl, label=none; Amharic: am, ገብ� ...

and Emmanuel and Princess Eléonore; 2nd, 3rd and 4th in line to the throne of Belgium *

Yannick Mertens Yannick Mertens (born 25 June 1987) is a professional tennis player from Belgium who mainly has played on the ATP Challenger Tour. On 27 July 2015, he reached his highest ATP singles ranking of 179, and his highest doubles ranking of 363 was r ...

(b. 1987), professional tennis player

International relations

Twin towns and sister cities

Anderlecht is twinned with: *

Boulogne-Billancourt Boulogne-Billancourt (; often colloquially called simply Boulogne, until 1924 Boulogne-sur-Seine, ) is a wealthy and prestigious commune in the Parisian area, located from its centre. It is a subprefecture of the Hauts-de-Seine department and t ...

, France * Berlin-

Neukölln Neukölln () is one of the twelve boroughs of Berlin. It is located in the southeastern part from the city centre towards Berlin Schönefeld Airport. It was part of the former American sector under the Four-Power occupation of the city. It featu ...

, Germany *

London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham () is a London borough in West London and which also forms part of Inner London. The borough was formed in 1965 from the merger of the former Metropolitan Boroughs of Hammersmith and Fulham. The borou ...

, United Kingdom *

Zaandam Zaandam () is a city in the province of North Holland, Netherlands. It is the main city of the municipality of Zaanstad, and received city rights in 1811. It is located on the river Zaan, just north of Amsterdam. The statistical district Zaand ...

, Netherlands * Marino, Italy In addition, Anderlecht has signed a friendship agreement with: * Sainte-Maxime, France

References

Notes

Bibliography

* *

External links

*
Official website
{{Authority control Municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region Populated places in Belgium Belgium geography articles needing translation from French Wikipedia